San Francisco, California

Since 1975, Michael Merrill, ASID, NKBA, CID has specialized in the renovation and design of residences throughout the United States. Originally from Texas, Michael Merrill practiced design in Austin and Dallas before relocating to the West Coast in 1987. His years at the Donghia and Brustlin showrooms provide indispensible insights into that aspect of the industry as well as an understanding of how other high-end designers work. In January of 1992, he founded and operated the prestigious to-the-trade showroom, Merrill-Ford, while continuing his own private practice. After several years, Michael left Merrill-Ford to once again to pursue design full time. Today Michael Merrill Design Studio is located in the San Francisco Design Center taking full advantage of the numerous showrooms, dealers, and workshops of the design district.

Working with a talented team of designers and project managers, Michael Merrill has a strong hand in the design of each project. For the past dozen years, an indispensable member of the design team has been Danny Kang who graduated from the prestigious CCAC’s interior architecture program and meticulously executes each design so that it exceeds a client’s expectations. Notable projects include a complete remodel of a 1917 Upper East Side duplex penthouse in Manhattan, décor for a contemporary San Francisco pied-à-terre, and the careful restoration and modern furnishing of an historic Maybeck home.

Every project has one goal in mind: to create a beautifully pared-down environment that is deceptive in its simplicity. The work is a much about what is left out as what is included. This approach requires that each design element be carefully chosen and meticulously executed. The resulting space should convey a feeling of warmth, comfort, and well-being. Services offered include custom furnishings and accessories, color consultation, fine art acquisition and presentation, space planning, window treatments, kitchen and bath design, custom millwork and cabinetry, lighting design, interior architecture, construction coordination and observation.

Increasingly paperless, the office not only maintains a design ideas library and materials and furnishing source book, but also offers, for interested clients, a private, cloud based­­ website to keep the drawings, invoices and schedules secure and accessible to all members of the design team 24/7.

Michael Merrill has established and continues to maintain an important and respected place in the design community. He recently completed four years on the Board of Directors for American Society of Interior Designers, serves on the advisory board to City College and has worked to endow a chair in fine arts at his alma mater, St. Mark’s School of Texas.